Department for Transport

*No heading*

lord beecham: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the capability of the Civil Aviation Authority to (1) ensure the issuing of accurate pilot licences, (2) oversee flight training organisations, (3) implement safety activities required by the European Aviation Safety Authority, and (4) otherwise deliver effective safety oversight of aviation; and what representations they have received in the last year about those matters from the air safety regulator.

lord callanan: The UK has one of the best air safety records in the world, and the Civil Aviation Authority is subject to independent safety audits by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The results of these audits show that the CAA is performing its regulatory functions in accordance with international standards and European requirements. We have not received any representations from the CAA on this issue.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

*No heading*

lord hunt of chesterton: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact within the UK of the relocation, following Brexit,of EU medical research and related facilities which are currently based in the UK to other EU member states; and what estimate they have made of the (1) short-term, (2) medium-term, and (3) long-term, costs of those relocations.

lord prior of brampton: Science and research are vital to our country’s prosperity, security and wellbeing. This Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for innovators and investors across the world, and we intend to secure right outcome for the UK research base as we exit the European Union.We have a world class research base and world beating universities and businesses that mean the UK life sciences will continue to thrive. As shown by the recent investment decisions by GSK, Alnylam and Novo Nordisk, the UK remains open for business.The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a world leader in international research and innovation, including medical research.

*No heading*

lord hunt of chesterton: Her Majesty's Government what joint response they are making with the governments of other European countries in response to the US announcement of its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord; and what action they are taking to ensure that all G20 countries fulfil their obligations under that agreement.

lord prior of brampton: The UK underlined our commitment to the Paris Agreement at the G7 Environment Ministers’ meeting earlier this month and at the EU Foreign Affairs and Environment Affairs Councils last week, where, along with European partners, we were clear that we deeply regret the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.We welcome the continued support that the Paris Agreement has received from other political parties here in the UK, other countries, and subnational and non-state actors in the US and around the world. We will continue to work with the US to encourage them to show the leadership they have in the past on reducing carbon emissions.We will continue to work through the G20, and other international fora, to promote the swift and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. For example, the Government remains committed to the success of the Green Climate Fund as the key new vehicle for helping developing countries adapt to climate change and follow low carbon development paths. Besides the US, 42 Governments have pledged funding to the GCF, including Germany, France, Sweden, Mexico and Colombia.

*No heading*

lord mendelsohn: Her Majesty's Government on what date they plan to make available to the general public their online digital service for the reporting of payment practices and performance by large companies established under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 No 395.

lord prior of brampton: We are continuing to develop the Payment Practices Reporting online service so that it fully meets the Government’s Digital Service Standard and intend to launch the service in the autumn to ensure it is available for users to begin reporting their payment practices from October 2017.Businesses are able to receive an invitation to use the service before then by emailing a request to [emailprotected]/*  */!function(t,e,r,n,c,a,p){try{t=document.currentScript||function(){for(t=document.getElementsByTagName('script'),e=t.length;e--;)if(t[e].getAttribute('data-cfhash'))return t[e]}();if(t&&(c=t.previousSibling)){p=t.parentNode;if(a=c.getAttribute('data-cfemail')){for(e='',r='0x'+a.substr(0,2)|0,n=2;a.length-n;n+=2)e+='%'+('0'+('0x'+a.substr(n,2)^r).toString(16)).slice(-2);p.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(decodeURIComponent(e)),c)}p.removeChild(t)}}catch(u){}}()/*  */

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convert EU Regulation 425/2016 into UK law; and, if so, whether they expect UK notified bodies to be able to award the CE marking to personal protective equipment after the UK exits the European Union.

lord prior of brampton: Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all the rights and obligations that membership entails. EU Regulation 425/2016 is directly applicable in the United Kingdom and will enter into force on 21 April 2018. The Government is preparing draft legislation to provide for enforcement of the Regulation.The Government has announced its intention to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU. As part of the negotiations, the Government will want to ensure that UK businesses have greatest possible barrier-free access to EU markets. It would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations.

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convert EU Regulation 426/2016 into UK law; and, if so, which UK body will assume the role of the European Commission for investigating whether notified bodies have fulfilled the requirements under the Regulation for appliances burning gaseous fuels.

lord prior of brampton: Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all the rights and obligations that membership entails. EU Regulation 426/2016 is directly applicable in the United Kingdom and will enter into force on 21 April 2018. The Government is preparing draft legislation to provide for enforcement of the Regulation, and the European Commission will continue to fulfil its role with regard to notified bodies until we leave the European Union.The Repeal Bill will convert directly-applicable EU law into UK law, and provide a power to correct parts of the law that no longer work. The Government is currently considering how to ensure functions currently carried out by the European Commission with regard to UK notified bodies, continue in an appropriate way.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*No heading*

the lord bishop of coventry: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Indonesia in respect of Indonesia's blasphemy laws following the two-year prison sentence handed down on 9 May to Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the former Christian Governor of Jakarta, for allegedly committing blasphemy against Islam.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In response to the verdict, the UK, along with other EU member states, issued a statement through the EU Mission to Indonesia which stated that laws criminalising blasphemy when applied in a discriminatory manner can have a serious inhibiting effect on freedom of expression and freedom of religion. The statement called on the Indonesian government, its institutions and its people to continue the long standing tradition of tolerance and pluralism in Indonesia.Our Ambassador to Indonesia publicly expressed concern about the blasphemy verdict against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. In his meetings with political and religious leaders, the Ambassador has actively cautioned against mixing issues of race, ethnicity and religion with politics.

*No heading*

the lord bishop of coventry: Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of freedom of religion or belief in Indonesia.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Indonesia has a strong tradition of religious diversity and tolerance, with freedom of religion guaranteed under the Constitution of 1945 and more recently in Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights which upholds freedom of religion as a fundamental right. Nevertheless, there continue to be localised instances of religious conflict where the rights of religious minority groups have not been protected.We have made representations encouraging the Indonesian government to ensure that blasphemy laws are not applied in a discriminatory manner, including against those who do not practice one of the six religions recognised under Indonesian law. We therefore welcome recent statements by Indonesian President Joko Widodo reaffirming his commitment to pluralism and religious diversity.

Northern Ireland Office

Department for International Development

*No heading*

lord hunt of chesterton: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of supporting the installation of assisted natural ventilation in hospitals in developing countries, particularly in relation to (1) energy costs, (2) the spread of infection, and (3) electrical resilience.

lord bates: DFID does not generally invest directly in hospitals, although we do support investment in strengthening health systems in developing countries. We recognise the benefits of using well designed natural ventilation where appropriate, including to reduce energy costs and prevent the spread of infection, as set out in World Health Organisation guidance on standards of infection control in health facilities. This provides advice on natural ventilation for infection control, allowing the creation of affordable and sustainable healthcare facilities that are safe for patients and healthcare workers.

*No heading*

the lord bishop of southwark: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian impact on Gaza of the decision by the government of Israel to implement a request from the Palestinian Authority to reduce the flow of electricity supplies from Israel to Gaza.

lord bates: We are closely monitoring the current electricity situation in Gaza. This was initially triggered by a lack of fuel for the Gaza Power Plant, and exacerbated by a subsequent reduction in the supply of electricity from Israel, following a request from the Palestinian Authority. Gaza is considered a humanitarian priority for the UN and, though the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has not declared the current situation an ‘emergency'.

Department for Education

*No heading*

baroness coussins: Her Majesty's Government what is their target for the number of school pupils who will (1) study, and (2) achieve, the English Baccalaureate by 2022; what estimate they have made of the number of modern foreign language (MFL) teachers required to meet those targets; and what assessment they have made of the impact on the achievability of those targets of any current or future shortage in MFL teacher numbers

lord nash: The Government believes that the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) provides the right educational foundation for the majority of pupils. We want to see a significant increase in the proportion of pupils in mainstream secondary schools entering the EBacc combination of subjects at GCSE. We will publish further detail about the EBacc policy in due course.

HM Treasury

*No heading*

lord warner: Her Majesty's Government what would be the fiscal impact each year, at current prices, if tax relief on higher-rate pension contributions was (1) abolished, or (2) reduced by 50 per cent.

lord bates: An estimate of the fiscal impact of abolishing or halving the tax relief on higher-rate pensions is not available. The impact on tax receipts of restricting or abolishing pensions tax relief for higher rate tax payers would depend on how any changes were implemented and would also be subject to significant behavioural effects. Information on the cost of pensions tax relief is published in the HM Revenue and Custom (HMRC) National Statistics table ‘Registered pension schemes: cost of tax relief’, available on GOV.UK.

Cabinet Office

*No heading*

lord birt: Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the UK's workforce in 2016 were non-British nationals.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response to HL12
(PDF Document, 63.38 KB)

*No heading*

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured since the 2015 general election that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street do not do anything which is inconsistent with their obligations under the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct of Special Advisers or behave in a way which is inconsistent with standards set by their employing department.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured since the 2015 general election that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street do not do anything which is inconsistent with their obligations under the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct of Special Advisers or behave in a way which is inconsistent with standards set by their employing department.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street behave in a way which is professional and which deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom they have dealings.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers permits Special Advisers to restrict access by senior civil servants to the Prime Minister.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that any Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street unduly influenced the appointment, removal and replacement of civil servants in breach of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street behave in a way which is professional and which deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom they have dealings.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers permits Special Advisers to restrict access by senior civil servants to the Prime Minister.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that any Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street unduly influenced the appointment, removal and replacement of civil servants in breach of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

lord young of cookham: The standards of conduct expected of all civil servants, including Special Advisers are set out in the relevant Codes of Conduct. These Codes make clear what Special Advisers can and cannot do in their roles.

*No heading*

lord jopling: Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities have sent representatives over the last five years to attend courses or to obtain advice on preparation for major crises at the Cabinet Office's Emergency Planning College at Easingwold in North Yorkshire.

lord young of cookham: Between January 2012 and June 2017 a total of 350 local authorities from across the UK received training from the Cabinet Office Emergency Planning College. Of those 350 local authorities whose staff or members attended any EPC course, representatives from 298 local authorities undertook training in the specific area of crisis and emergency management. The table below disaggregated the headline figures by devolved nation: RegionBetween 2012-2017 the number of Local Authorities who sent delegate(s) on any EPC Curriculum Courseof which related to EPC Crisis & Emergency Management training coursesEngland299256Scotland2018Wales2519Northern Ireland65Total number350298

Department for Exiting the European Union

*No heading*

baroness coussins: Her Majesty's Government what are the foreign language skills of each member of the UK team negotiating withdrawal from the European Union

baroness anelay of st johns: The team negotiating the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has been chosen on the basis of expertise in the subject matter. The Department for Exiting the European Union does not centrally hold details of the language skills of its staff or members of the negotiating team.The joint Terms of Reference for the Article 50 TEU negotiations, published on 19 June 2017, set out that English and French will be used as working languages during the negotiations, and in working documents. Where necessary, interpretation will be provided by the European Commission. All members of the team negotiating the UK’s withdrawal are therefore able to participate fully in the negotiations.The Terms of Reference can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620409/Terms_of_reference_for_the_Article_50_negotiations_between_the_United_Kingdom_and_the_European_Union.pdf. 



Terms of Reference 
(PDF Document, 147.38 KB)

Department of Health

Prime Minister: Ministerial Policy Advisers

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that NICE guidance is followed in the use of faecal microbiota transplants in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street behave in a way which is professional and which deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom they have dealings.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers permits Special Advisers to restrict access by senior civil servants to the Prime Minister.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that any Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street unduly influenced the appointment, removal and replacement of civil servants in breach of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured since the 2015 general election that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street do not do anything which is inconsistent with their obligations under the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct of Special Advisers or behave in a way which is inconsistent with standards set by their employing department.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government how they have ensured that Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street behave in a way which is professional and which deserves and retains the confidence of all those with whom they have dealings.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Service Code and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers permits Special Advisers to restrict access by senior civil servants to the Prime Minister.

lord hunt of kings heath: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence that any Special Advisers employed in 10 Downing Street unduly influenced the appointment, removal and replacement of civil servants in breach of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.

lord young of cookham: The standards of conduct expected of all civil servants, including Special Advisers are set out in the relevant Codes of Conduct. These Codes make clear what Special Advisers can and cannot do in their roles.

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convert EU Regulation658/2014 into UK law; and, if so, which UK body will assume the role of the European Medicines Agency for the setting and charging of fees to UK-based marketing authorisation holders.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency sets and charges fees for marketing authorisations in the United Kingdom which are granted nationally and not approved centrally by the European Medicines Agency. The extent to which European Medicines Agency procedures will apply in the UK after we have exited the European Union will be subject to negotiations. The Government will ensure that the UK’s full approval regime is ready and operational as soon as the UK has formally departed the EU.

*No heading*

baroness hayter of kentish town: Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convert EU Regulation 536/2014 into UK law; and, if so, whether the UK will continue to notify the EU Clinical Trial Portal of applications for clinical trials for medicinal products for human use, and retain full access to the Portal.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Prime Minister has made clear that a key priority through the negotiations will be to ensure that the United Kingdom remains one of the best places in the world for science and innovation. As part of exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the European Union and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of clinical trials, including access to the EU portal and database. The UK applied sustained pressure to successfully reform the current Clinical Trials Directive in the best interests of patients and business and is planning for the new Clinical Trials Regulation to be brought onto our statute book. The timing of the application date of the new regulation is yet to be determined by the European Commission.